Meet Carlos Alcaraz who beat Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to reach Madrid Open final

Source: Twitter

Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who turned 19 years of age on Thursday (May 5), won consecutive battles with tennis legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to reach the Madrid Open 2022 final on Saturday (May 7). 

The promising Spanish talent made his debut in 2020, when he was just 16 years old and won his first title in Croatia the very next year. Since then, Carlor has had a stellar run in the ATP World Tour clinching titles in Rio, Miami and Barcelona.

Coming from the same country as 21-time Grand Slam winner Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz has followed his compatriots footsteps winning the French Open at 19 years of age. He became the youngest tennis player since Rafael Nadal (2005) to enter the top 10 World ATP Rankings.

Carlos was born on May 5, 2003 in El Palmar, Spain and was introduced to tennis at just four years of age. Alcaraz is coached by fellow countryman Juar Carlos Ferrero, a French Open winner and World No. 1.

@alcarazcarlos03 is the first player with consecutive wins over Nadal and Djokovic in a clay tournament.#MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/nGR1nUJb28

— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) May 7, 2022

The 19-year-old Spaniard clinched a stirring 6-7(5), 7-5, 7-6(5) win over Novak Djokovic at the ATP Masters 1000 event. The Spanish sensation backed up his win over Rafael Nadal in Friday's quarter-finals in spectacular style on Manolo Santana Stadium, recovering from the disappointment of losing a first-set tie-break to complete the biggest win of his career against World No. 1 Djokovic.

"I don't know what the difference [between us] was," said Alcaraz after his three-hour, 35-minute win. 

"It was so close. He had the chances to break my serve at the end of the second set. In the first set as well it was so close in the tie-break. Honestly I don't know what made the difference."

The win makes the Spaniard the first player ever to beat Nadal and Djokovic at the same clay-court event and moves him to a 27-3 match record for the season.

Alcaraz's outstanding 2022 season has seen the teenager win a maiden Masters 1000 title in Miami and break the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings for the first time. Defeating Nadal and Djokovic back-to-back in Madrid extends his winning streak over Top 10 opponents to six.

With ANI inputs